1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mounting arrangements in general, and more particularly to arrangements for suspending festive adornments from supports available on the premises to be decorated.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various arrangements for mounting diverse objects on one another or connecting such objects to each other, among them such that are constructed or configured as locking strap fasteners. Examples of fastening arrangements of the latter type can be found, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 548,297; 3,568,262; 4,128,220 and 5,293,669.
As disclosed in each of these patents, the locking strap fastener includes a locking strap proper and a fixture that is affixed to one end portion of the locking strap. This fixture in each instance has an aperture for the passage of the other end portion of the strap therethrough, and means for releasably engaging such other end portion for locking the same in position relative to the fixture for as long as desired. The primary function of the strap is to keep together a plurality of objects and/or hold them in place by passing through holes provided in such objects (such as in shoelace eyelets in the arrangement of the U.S. Patent No. 5,293,669) or by being wrapped and/or tightened around the objects (such as around a bundle of electrical wires, an electrical cable or the like as in the arrangements of the other three patents). When it is desired to use the locking strap fasteners to suspend the affected objects from a support, each of the fixtures is provided with integral mounting means (such as tings, hooks or the like) configured to engage the support with the desired degree of security of attachment.
While it may well be that the above arrangements satisfy the requirements for which they have been designed, they are not suited for use in applications different from those disclosed in the above patents. More particularly, if it were attempted to employ fastening arrangements identical or similar to those disclosed in the above patents in accordance with the principles disclosed there for suspending wreaths, garlands or similar Christmas or other holiday decorations from railings, banister handrails or similar support structures that can be found on the premises to be decorated, it would be discovered that they either cannot be mounted on such structures to begin with, or would inflict damage on such structures if used.